Want to understand the U.S airline industry, but short on time? Our proprietary estimates will allow you to understand how the the market is changing, which airlines are growing fastest, and the most important operational metrics at a glance.

Report Overview

In this report, Skift Research launches our inaugural U.S passenger airline market estimates. Our proprietary estimates aim to provide benchmark data for key metrics of the passenger airline sector and are based on our analysis of multiple sources, including the Department of Transportation, the Census Bureau, and individual company securities filings.

We expect U.S. passenger revenue to reach $171.4 billion in 2019, up 2.6% from 2018. Passenger revenues grew 3.7% in 2017 and are likely to close out 2018 up 4.5%, in our view. We also estimate the market will remain concentrated in 2019, with the four largest carriers in the U.S. controlling 85% of market share in 2018, up from 77% in 2013.

Other estimates that we present in this report include industry revenue by specific product offerings, namely domestic versus international travel and coach versus business and first class tickets; and operating statistics including passenger demand (as measured by revenue seat mile), aircraft seat capacity (as measured by available seat miles), and unit revenues (as measured by passenger revenue per available seat mile).

What You'll Learn From This Report

U.S. passenger airline market size estimates, 2013–2019

How U.S. passenger revenue is split between domestic versus international travel and coach versus business and first class seats

Market shares for all major U.S. air carriers

Important operating statistics for the U.S. air industry, including passenger demand, aircraft seat capacity, and unit revenues